Maricopa County confirms first heat-related death of 2026

PHOENIX — Maricopa County health officials confirmed an older adult male as the first heat-related death of the 2026 season on Friday.

The Maricopa County Department of Public Health said in a press release that no other details would be shared about the individual to protect patient privacy.

The death comes as the county prepares to expand its heat relief network on May 1, which will offer hydration stations, cooling centers and respite locations. County heat surveillance launches on May 5, according to the health department.

The early fatality underscores a persistent public health crisis, even as deaths have declined for two consecutive years.

Cooling centers credited with bringing down heat-related deaths

Preliminary 2025 data shows 427 heat-related deaths, down from 608 in 2024 and a record 645 in 2023, according to the county health department.

Courtney Kreuzwiesner, a spokesperson for the Maricopa County Department of Public Health, credited county relief efforts with saving lives.

“We have had declines over the past two years in our heat-related deaths,” Kreuzwiesner told KTAR News 92.3 FM. “Expanding our heat relief network efforts to have operating hours that are into the evenings, we have weekend sites that are open now … all of these things have really created additional access points to keep people safe in the community.”

March broke heat records

March 2026 was the hottest March on record in Phoenix, more than six degrees warmer than the previous record set in 2004.

An eight-day streak of triple-digit temperatures from March 18 to 25 produced the hottest March days ever recorded, with highs reaching 105 degrees on three consecutive days.

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